Review of Sinclair Ferguson, Lessons From the Upper Room, Sanford: Ligonier Ministries, 2021.
These are private words addressed to you in public”
- (T. S. Eliot, A Dedication to my Wife)
These poetic lines capture the essence of Jesus’ Upper Room Discourse in John 13-17. In these chapters, Jesus unveils his heart, speaking tenderly to reassure his apostles of his love for them. We’ve been given the privilege of overhearing the innermost concerns of Jesus’ heart toward his closest friends. We have an echo, a glimpse of Jesus’ mind as he dedicates these private words to be read publicly all around the world. To put it another way, Thomas Goodwin called John 13-17 a “window into Christ’s heart”, an idea that Sinclair Ferguson himself borrowed in his book, Lessons from the Upper Room: The Heart of the Saviour. As the subtitle suggests, Ferguson guides our gaze toward Jesus’ heart, providing a heartfelt comfort amid all the tumult in the world around us. In an age of rapid technological changes, growing cultural hostility against Christianity, global pandemics, warfare, etc., knowing the steadfast love of Christ who loved his disciples to the end compels us to rest in our Saviour. He is the Rock on whom we can build our lives on. He is our tender Saviour who will not break a bruised reed, nor quench a faintly burning wick (Isaiah 42:3). Lessons from the Upper Room serves as an apt antidote to the deeply inculcated societal unrest that we all see and inadvertently absorb.
Tim Challies, in his review of this book, uses the metaphor of a tour guide as a helpful illustration to describe the effect of Ferguson’s exposition of the Upper Room Discourse. Challies writes:
In Lessons from the Upper Room, he [Ferguson] serves as a kind of tour guide who describes what has happened in this room, what it meant at the time, and what it continues to mean today. He offers a guided tour of one of the most significant evenings in human history and tells how and what it matters to you and to me and to the course of events in this world.
Moreover, Ferguson demonstrates the significance of the farewell discourse in light of the rest of scripture. He lets scripture interpret scripture—an essential principle to interpret Scripture correctly—to bolster our understanding of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. Below is an example taken from page 10:
John 13:3-5, 12 | Philippians 2:6-9 |
Jesus… knowing… he had come from God | Though he was in the form of God |
rose from supper | [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped |
laid aside his outer garments | but emptied himself |
and taking a towel | taking the form of a servant |
poured water into a basin | he humbled himself |
and began to wash the disciples’ feet | becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross |
he… put on his outer garments and resumed his place | God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name |
Though I had read both these passages multiple times, I had missed the pattern of Jesus’ humiliation and exaltation that is so profoundly obvious. Ferguson’s ability to simply articulate big truths is an outstanding characteristic of this book. Its brevity and depth are a testament to Ferguson’s mastery of theological precision.
Furthermore, in these chapters, we not only have the privilege of knowing Jesus better by overhearing him speak to his disciples, but we have access to Jesus’ prayer to his heavenly Father in chapter 17. Although much has been written about this prayer—sometimes called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer—the importance of this chapter cannot be understated. Not only is this prayer significant in the moment as the pinnacle of redemptive history was at hand, but it also reveals that Jesus’ ministry did not end in the Upper Room. We see him pray “for those who will believe in me through their [the apostles’] word” (John 17:20)—that is, Christians after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. We have here, in a sense, a transcript of Jesus’ present intercession for the whole church as he reigns supreme in his heavenly session. This prayer is a comfort for us to know that he continues to be at the right hand of God the Father, advocating on our behalf that we may be one—just like the Father and Son are one (John 17:21).
Finally, Ferguson’s lucid writing style, theologically sound exposition, and personally enriching application portray the heart of Christ toward sinners on earth. This book is no dry analysis. It provides clear and concise clarity on what the passage says with a passionately pastoral application for people with real struggles and hurts. It is a supplementary resource that has edified my re-reading of John 13-17 as I encounter the text with greater delight and adoration. This book reminds me of the privilege of having God’s Word translated into the vernacular so that anyone can listen to the sweetness of our Saviour’s parting words to his apostles. I think any Christian will be edified by Ferguson’s treatment of the Upper Room Discourse, and as such, I am glad to recommend this book to you.
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